My 29 Favorite Restaurants in Europe

I don’t write about food often. I always have these grand desires to do so, but I never feel like I’m in a city long enough to make an expert judgment on the “best places to eat in city X.” It’s only when I spend extended time in a place — like I have in New York City and Bangkok — that I feel comfortable recommending a list of restaurants.

But over the years, I’ve done a lot of European travel and accumulated a fair list of favorite eateries, so instead of talking about one city, I’ve decided to provide a more general list of my favorite restaurants around Europe. I may not be a culinary expert, but I can promise a divine meal at any of the following places:

(This list is alphabetical by city)

Amsterdam

Pancakes!, Berenstraat 38 – Delicious traditional Dutch pancakes with tons of topping choices — I’m a big fan of the strawberries and whipped cream! It’s a small place, so try to avoid peak eating times as the wait can get quite long. Large portions.Website: www.pancakesamsterdam.com

Barcelona

Les Quinze Nits, Plaza Reial, 6 – Delicious food for great value in the famous Plaza Real. It’s a bit touristy, but even the locals come here for the value. Typical Spanish menu. Avoid the long lines at dinner and go for lunch.Website: www.lesquinzenits.com

La Fonda, Escudellers, 10 – Good food with large portions, near Plaza Real. Their set menu will give you more than you can eat featuring beautiful decor and a robust wine selection.Website: www.lafonda-restaurant.com

Allium Restaurant, Carrer del Call, 17 – Local and natural food restaurant that serves delicious, local ingredients with a nice rustic decor. Friendly staff, very well priced. This was my favorite restaurant in Barcelona.Website: www.alliumrestaurant.es

Pinotxo, La Boqueria – Just inside the food market, this little stall is always packed and serves some of the most famous tapas dishes in the area. I stopped there while on a food tour, and it was delicious. Try the chickpea salad.Website: pinotxobar.com

Berlin

Mustafa’s, Mehringdamm 32 – The world’s best kebabs and durums. I love the parsley and lemon juice they use with their salad. The line can stretch around the block and you can wait for up to an hour, but it’s worth it.Website: mustafas.de

Bordeaux

Le Petit Commerce, 22 Rue Parlement Saint-Pierre — This restaurant is on my favorite street in France, with its cute cafes, musicians, and cobblestone streets. It’s everything you envision a French street to be. I was shown this place by a local friend and eat here every time I’m in Bordeaux. They serve mostly seafood. Try the sea snails. Delicious!Website

La Tupina, 6 Rue Porte de la Monnaie — A more high-end restaurant that serves rustic, country dishes common to the region. Very traditional,authentic, delicious, but not easy on the wallet. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had though. That chicken was heaven.Website: www.latupina.com

Bratislava

Bratislava Flagship Restaurant, Nám. SNP 469/8 — Once a large theater, this beer hall/restaurant serves local cuisine at cheap prices and is a popular establishment with university students. Long tables, great for groups.Website: www.bratislavskarestauracia.sk

Budapest

Central Market Hall, Vámház körút 1–3 — The central market in the city has a lot of traditional places to eat. It’s touristy (it’s the central market after all!), but I still found the food tasty. My favorites are the shops on the second floor, on the right side, closest to the front.Website: www.piaconline.hu

Bulgaria

Happy Sushi, located throughout Bulgaria – A sushi chain found around the country. The sushi was surprisingly high quality, with huge portions for a price any traveler could afford.Website: happysushi.bg

Helsinki

Ios, Greece

The Nest, Chora Village – Best Greek food on the island. Their soup is also the best hangover cure.Website

Kyiv

Puzata Khata, Baseina St 2 — A local cafeteria/buffet-style eatery where the food is cheap and authentic. You never spend more than a few dollars for a hearty meal.Website: www.puzatahata.com.ua

Lisbon

Instinctus, Rua de Santa Cruz ao Castelo 35 – A tiny place run by a sweet lady. Set menu: four courses with four glasses of wine. OK food, but the tons of wine, good ambience, and host make it a place worth visiting.Website: instinctus.webnode.pt

Munich

Augustiner Bräustuben, Landsberger Straße 19 – A German beer hall I stumbled across serving traditional and hearty meals. You’re seated at long tables with other parties, so it’s an easy way to make friends. Since it’s so out of the way, most people are curious to know how you found it.Website: www.braeustuben.de

Naples

Di Matteo, Via dei Tribunali, 94 — This pizza place was recommended to me by a friend as the “best pizza in Naples.” I’m not sure if that’s true, but it was so delicious I ended up eating here every day. Good selection of toppings too.Website: www.pizzeriadimatteo.com

Nice

La Rossettisserie, 8 Rue Mascoïnat — I also found this little rotisserie place randomly. They serve five dishes: chicken, beef, lamb, veal, and pork with potatoes and a few appetizers. It’s small restaurant with an intimate setting, candles, fresh bread, and lots of wine choices.Website: www.larossettisserie.com

Paris

L’Ardoise Gourmande, 12 Rue de Belzunce — This out-of-the-way restaurant a few blocks from Gare du Nord serves traditional French food with generous pours of wine. Their tasting menu is the best value. Their fish, or whatever is in season, is always prepared well.Website: www.ardoisegourmande.com

Jeanne A,42 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud) — This eat-in épicerie and wine shop offers delicious food (especially meats and cheeses) and is my favorite spot in Paris. The prix-fixe menu offers the best value at 30 euros for dinner with an appetizer and main dish. Be sure to try their lamb and duck — they are famous for it!Website: www.jeanne-a-comestibles.com

Valencia

La Pepica, Paseo Neptuno, 2, 6, 8 -The best paella I’ve ever had was here. This place has been around since 1898 and is located right on the beach.Website: www.lapepica.com

So there you go: my favorite places to eat in Europe. I’ve eaten at a lot more than just these above, and I’m sure I’m forgetting some great places, but this is a good starting point for when you get hungry and aren’t sure where to eat!

I haven’t been to any of these (womp, womp) but I want to check out the Patio Provencal in Paris. Maybe you should post an article about how to find sushi in any city in the world? That seems to be your favorite!

I’m taking my parents to BCN this Christmas and haven’t been in years, so definitely timely! I also have tried the beer cart in Bucharest. Got there in the morning and had just apple strudel and a coffee, plus a glass of fresh orange juice, but some of the best 3€ I spent in food in Romania!

I’d also rec Smutney’s in Vienna for their hearty Viennese and Bulgarian food.

I love how you found some of these places by just walking around and being there. I think that’s the best way to find genuine places, as well as new places. I do that with places to stay when I’m road tripping, as well as places to eat 🙂

I love the garlic place in Stockholm, it made me giggle! Garlic shots, what!!?? Gotta love the quirky!

Great list! Our next trip will likely include a few of these places. We’ll have to make an effort to try one of these out. Great idea adding the websites at the bottom. I wish I seen this post before going to Greece last year, I would’ve checked out The Nest.

Unfortunately I can’t agree with you on the Central Market Hall in Budapest – I thought the food there was overpriced and not very tasty compared to some of the smaller markets and local joints. However, I do agree about Augustiner in Munich and thanks for the tips for Bucharest and Amsterdam – will be travelling to them both in the next couple of weeks so will check your recommendations out!

I’ve been to Les Quinze Nits, pretty cheap but still good!! I think the best meal I had in Spain was at Los Coloniales in Sevilla…I went with a bunch of people and when we were done eating we gave ourselves a round of applause and high-fived each other. So good.

Amsterdam’s Burger Bar is outstanding. So’s the grub at Bugermeester (http://www.burgermeester.eu/), with several locations in the city. For more delicious food in A’dam, check out my new blog, focused on Dutch culture, language + cuisine.

If Florence ever makes it on here, I absolutely recommend: Il Latini, Trattoria Mario, Nerbone (For the best roast beef sandwich that you will ever have; Lunch in the Central Market) and L’Osteria di Giovanni

On Paris, I was nicely impressed by Page 35. Part impromptu art gallery, part superbly tasty food, and overall a nice and cozy place frequented by locals. The price/quality ratio is very reasonable for Paris.